Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening – new album and tour dates

Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening

Award-winning Northumbrian roots musician Kathryn Tickell is to release her second album with The Darkening, cloud horizons on September 1 via Resilient Records. The new record will be available on CD and digital download.

First and second singles, ‘Long For Light’ and ‘Clogstravaganza’ out now:

Based in the shadow of Hadrian’s Wall yet reaching out to the wider world, Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening explore the connecting threads of music, landscape and people over a period of almost 2000 years. Songs range from themes of freedom, nature and venturing out into the world after times of darkness, to a Roman inscription with links to Libya and Syria magnetically pulled into the 21st century by Amen-inspired breakbeats, ominous vocals and the wildest of piping…

cloud horizons is an album of extremes – Northumbrian traditions meet global influences. Dark, edgy soundscapes flare into euphoria with the razor-sharp precision of the pipes and accordion, bombastic effects-drenched octave-mandolin, haunting harmony vocals, skillfully programmed beats, evocative slow airs and wild, heart-pounding dance tunes. Lyres, clàrsach, sistrum, bone-flute and traditional Galician percussion add potency to the compelling ambience.

cloud horizons is the follow-up to Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening’s acclaimed 2019 debut Hollowbone, about which The Observer declared in its glowing review: “A clever, shape-shifter of a record founded on an exceptional band.”

Named after the old Northumbrian word for twilight, The Darkening is made up of four North-East England-based members: Kathryn Tickell (Northumbrian smallpipes, fiddle, vocals), Amy Thatcher (accordion, synth, clogs, vocals), Kieran Szifris (octave mandolin), Joe Truswell (drums, percussion, programming, plus Stef Conner from Cambridge (vocals, lyres, sistrum) and Josie Duncan from the Isle of Lewis (vocals, clarsach). Together these dazzling musicians create musical magic; dynamic and unique “Ancient Northumbrian Futurism”.

Artist’s website: kathryntickell.com

‘Clogstravanganza’ – live:

To celebrate the release of cloud horizons, Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening will play shows and festivals from August to October with dates as follows:

August

Saturday 19    Folk East

September

Friday 1         Lindisfarne Festival
Saturday 2       Civic Theatre, Gosforth
Thursday 7       Victoria Hall, Settle
Friday 8         Theatre, Chipping Norton
Saturday 9       Swanage Folk Festival
Sunday 10        Dartington Arts, Devon
Monday 11       St Ives September Festival
Tuesday 12       South Street, Reading

October

Monday 16      Apex, Bury St Edmunds
Tuesday 17     The Stables, Wavendon
Wednesday 18 University of York
Monday 23      Gala Theatre, Durham
Tuesday 24     Waterside Arts, Manchester
Wednesday      St George’s, Bristol
Thursday 26    Cecil Sharp House, London
Friday 27      Ludlow Assembly Rooms

Tickets: kathryntickell.com